Number of people injured by slow moving EVs? Still zero, to my knowledge.
This is a case where the judicial branch needs to overturn the idiotic actions of the legislative branch.
Tesla, or perhaps an EV organization with legal connections, should take this to court. The argument should be:
1. If any car not under the jurisdiction of this law (luxury ICEs, for example) emits equal or less sound at 18mph and below--which is easily proven--then this law is discriminatory under its intended purpose (to notify pedestrians of the presence of the vehicle). Under that basis, either:
a) Every vehicle manufacturer must implement this stupid noisemaker when their vehicle's noise levels are below the threshold (in which the law likely collapses due to strong pushback/lobbying from established automakers), or
b) The law must be repealed (and we're back to happiness).
2. If ALL other cars emit more noise at 18mph or less, then the requirement should be to emit only as much as the quietest ICE (or else (1) above takes over). If so, the sound should be essentially inaudible, and therefore has no point.
Of course, evidence should be presented that there have been no serious injuries (perhaps no significant injuries at all) in which pedestrians have been hit by EVs at low speeds--to further demonstrate the uselessness of this law.
And I completely agree with brianman--the sound should literally be an advertisement for the stupidity of the law itself.
Also: I expect this will piss off Musk, and we will see quite a show from Tesla on this one
. He, more than anyone, doesn't want to see EVs make stupid noises as they travel down the street.
